At the bedroom door, I let go of her hand and went to fold back the covers. I looked over my shoulder at Isabelle, who still hovered in the doorway, and motioned for her to get into bed.
She hesitated before crossing the room. I knew she was nervous but wasn’t yet sure why. We’d slept together before. Once she was settled under the covers, she looked up at me. The uncertainty in her bright green eyes had me leaning down to kiss her forehead. It was a mistake. The urge to trail kisses down to her mouth rode me hard as I turned away to shut off the light. She rolled to her side, away from me.
Staying dressed, I lay down behind her. On top of the covers. Even though I knew it was probably unwise, I pulled her closer and wrapped my arm around her waist.
“Goodnight, Isabelle.”
“Goodnight, Carlos.”
In silence, I waited for her to fall asleep. But, she didn’t.
“I don’t share feelings; I steal them,” she said. “When I was thirteen, a boy asked me on a date. I liked him and knew from what he was feeling that he liked me too, so I said yes. I nearly killed him when I held his hand.
“Ethan was there. He pulled the boy away from me. Probably saved his life. But Ethan and I both knew after that… I couldn’t be with anyone. So, I never tried. I had Ethan, and he was enough. He was my first kiss. He tricked me, took me by surprise. I was terrified and wouldn’t let myself feel anything. I think he knew, and it made him feel even sorrier for me. I’ve always loved Ethan, but not the way he wanted because I couldn’t.”
She wiggled under my arm until she turned around to face me.
“The things you’re asking for, I’ve never considered,” she said. “I don’t understand relationships. They scare the hell out of me. And the idea of a relationship with you is even scarier. I have no clue what you’re thinking because I don’t know what you’re feeling. We kissed. Then when I asked you to stop, you walked out the door without a word.”
I gently ran a finger along her jaw.
“I left because if I had stayed, I would have kept kissing you. The idea of a relationship is new to both of us. I’ll work on sharing what I’m feeling with words. And you can work on just letting yourself feel.”
She exhaled, seeming to relax, then nodded and closed her eyes. She was still facing me. Her lips, an enticement I couldn’t ignore.
“Isabelle?”
“Yeah?” she said, opening her eyes again.
“I want to kiss you goodnight.”
“Okay.”
I leaned in and set my lips to hers. Her pulse leapt, and she set her hand on my arm. I traced the seam of her lips, and she opened to me. I shook and pressed deeper, playing with her tongue. I wanted everything. I wanted to soak her in and never let her go. I needed her more than anything I’d ever thought I’d needed in my life. And, I knew, because of that, I needed to stop.
Dying a little on the inside, I pulled back, kissed her forehead, and rested my chin on the crown of her head. I could feel her breath on my neck and struggled not to hold her tighter. When she inched forward and gently kissed me over my Adams apple, I did hold her tighter. She sighed, and I felt her relax.
In my arms, she fell asleep. Safe from her objections, I stood, changed into my shorts, and crawled under the covers with her. It took hours for me to calm enough to close my eyes. I’d only managed a little sleep myself before she hooked a leg over my hip.
I growled and rolled toward her. The press of skin against skin helped relieve some of the need I had for her, but not enough. I wrapped my arms around her and buried my face in her neck. Slow deep breaths filled with her scent lulled me again. Once I had the need under control, I tucked her head under my chin and just held her. Her sweat started to gather on my skin, like she was marking me as her own. I held her tighter.
The room lightened as the sun rose. After a while, she twitched in my arms.
“Too close,” she said against my throat.
I growled. I couldn’t get close enough.
“Can’t breathe,” she said.
Loosening my hold, I gave her an inch and felt her inhale deeply. I kissed her temple.
“Good morning, Isabelle.”
“Good morning. Uh, can I get up and go to the bathroom?”
I relaxed my hold, and she propped herself up on an elbow to look down at me. Her gaze bounced from my right eye to my left.
“Everything all right?”
I nodded, blinked, and tried to pull back some of the need clawing at me. She didn’t seem convinced as she slipped from bed and shut herself in the bathroom.
I groaned when the shower turned on.
“I shouldn’t have let her go.”
With a regretful sigh, I got up and used yesterday’s shirt to dry her sweat from my chest. Her scent clung to me like a second skin. I’d skip showering today. Reaching into my bag, I found one clean shirt remaining.
Do you know if there’s a laundry in the building? I sent to Grey.
There’s a washer and dryer in each apartment. Check the closet.
What are our plans? I sent back as I went out to the kitchen and living room. The washer was just where Grey had said it would be. Along with detergent and dryer sheets.
Nothing today. Everyone’s doing their own thing for breakfast, but we want to meet afterward. Charlene managed to contact that reporter lady. It wasn’t an easy call. There’s some kind of history there, but Charlene doesn’t want to talk about it. However, the reporter did agree to meet Charlene tomorrow morning. We’ll pack and leave just after nine.
I was glad we didn’t need to go anywhere today. It meant more alone time with Isabelle.
Turning from the washer, I went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. I wanted something ready when Isabelle finished showering, and there was plenty of food there to make breakfast.
By the time Isabelle stepped out of the bathroom, I had our omelet almost ready.
“Hey, do you think this place has a washer and dryer?” she asked with her bag in hand.
“They’re in the closet right behind the entry door.”
She went to the closet and started putting her things in the washer.
“Do you have anything you need washed?” she asked.
“I’ll add my clothes when we’re done eating.”
After she closed the lid to the washer and set her bag on the shelf, she came to sit at the breakfast bar. I already had two plates out on the counter along with orange juice and silverware.
“Any word from anyone else?” she asked.
“Most everyone is awake. Charlene reached Penny. According to Grey, it was a tense conversation. There’s some kind of history between the two, but Charlene isn’t saying much. Regardless, Penny has agreed to meet with Charlene to hear what she has to say.”
“Just Charlene?” she asked.
“No. We will all go.”
“What time?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
I turned with the pan and placed half on her plate and half on mine. Feeling her gaze on me, I looked up. She quickly shifted her attention to her food.
“What’s all in here?”
“Ham, mushrooms, onions, and cheese.” I returned the hot pan to the stove and then sat beside her as she cut into her egg. Steam rose, releasing more of the mouthwatering aroma. My stomach growled again, and I hungrily took the first bite.
“So what are the plans for today, then?” she asked.
“No plans.” I took another bite.
“Do you still want me to bite you?” she asked.
I froze. So did she. It took me a moment to swallow the egg in my mouth. When I did, it went down hard. It felt like my throat had closed up, and I couldn’t seem to breathe right. I couldn’t have heard correctly. Yet, her scent and the way she was trying to quickly eat her omelet told me I had.
Setting my fork aside, I turned to face her.
“Why do you ask?”
She shrugged as she chewed and answered after she finished.
“I just wanted to know if you changed your mind yet.”
“I won’t. Ever. If you’re ready, so am I.” I studied her. “Are you ready?”
“I don’t know. What exactly does being engaged to a werewolf mean? For humans, the guy gives the girl a ring, and if she gets pissed, she can chuck it at his head and tell him to get lost. What’s the point of the bite?”
“Do you want a ring?” I asked.
“Gah, no!”
The idea of it seemed to panic her, but I didn’t understand why.
“The bite is more permanent than a ring. And when you get angry, there’s nothing for you to throw at my head.”
“Probably a good thing,” she said, breathing a bit more calmly.
“Probably.”
We’re ready. Meet us in Charlene’s room.
I sighed.
“Grey wants to know if we can join the group.”
She nodded and quickly finished her eggs. I did the same then drained my orange juice. I could feel her gaze on me again and set the glass on the counter. She blushed when I looked at her.
“You don’t need permission,” I said.
“For what?”
“To bite me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She stood and took our plates to the sink, obviously not yet ready to end my torture.